Research Isn’t Just Science

Editor's Note: This post is guest authored by Jennifer Byrne, founder of the nonprofit
organization Greater
Gift and former CEO of PMG
Research, Inc. Jennifer is highly committed to building better bridges between patients and
their health care providers to the life science community. Her guiding mission is to mainstream the
transformation of clinical research as a care option for all patients; improving the delivery model of research
and creating space to match the right trial to the right patient at the right time.

Have you heard of the Enhanced Clinical Trials Design Act? If you haven’t, you may soon. The
act took effect
in August of 2017 and was sponsored by four bipartisan members of the Senate Health Committee. This act
encourages conversations between the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH),
key industry stakeholders and Americans who participate in clinical trials. It aims to modernize the clinical
trial process to provide more treatments and therapies to improve lives.

But what good is a law aimed at making clinical trials easier if people don’t know about them? Or have
negative attitudes about them? What can we do to improve this space?

Actually, there is a lot that we can do. We can thank individuals who participate in clinical research and make new
medicines possible. We can tell their stories to help spread the message of what it means to participate and what
clinical trials entail. We can encourage our social circles to consider participating and we can speak to our
health care providers about potential opportunities.

My nonprofit company, Greater
Gift, is dedicated to thanking and celebrating people who contribute to the advancement of medical research.
On November 16th, Greater Gift, along with other local organizations including the
Winston-Salem Office of the Mayor, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the Innovation Quarter and leaders within
the Arts community, joined Lilly for the final Hero’s Journey™ Art unveiling. This event shone a light on
clinical research participants in ways that surprised, inspired and caused people to change their perceptions of
clinical research.

You may be wondering: How could an art exhibit cause people to change their perceptions of clinical research?
Rallying a community around a celebration of clinical trial art and stories is powerful. Dr. Julie Freischlag, CEO
of Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and Interim Dean of the Wake Forest Medical School said it best, “Research
results in better care for patients, more choices, more providers and more education.” The words of our
speakers, attendees and clinical trial participants at the event were moving and inspirational. But did they change
people’s perceptions of attitudes about clinical research?

The answer is a resounding YES! We conducted surveys about perceptions before and after the event, asking
participants about their knowledge of clinical trials and willingness to participate. We honestly didn’t know what
to expect, but were thrilled with the results. (See the full
survey results.) Before the event, 31% of attendees reported they knew nothing, very little or something
about clinical trials. After the event, this number was reduced by almost half to 17%.

More importantly, when asked about their willingness to participate in clinical research, 25% of attendees said
they were definitely or probably not willing. Following the event, this figure was cut by more than half to 12%.
One event, did indeed, make a difference.

So what now? What’s next? The city of Winston-Salem and our newfound Ambassadors of Clinical Research
will continue to spread the message of the Hero’s Journey™ Art Project and will plan additional activities around
the sculpture. If you are in town, please visit the artwork, located at the Benton
Convention Center. As Winston-Salem continues to promote clinical research in our community, I urge you all
to do the same. Improvements in raising clinical trial awareness are needed on all levels and we all have a part
we can play. Opportunities are available, including PopUp Star, a newly launched clinical trial awareness
contest. Please visit www.popupstarcommunity.com for
more information, join a team, or attend a local event.

Did you notice a new name at the top of this post? LillyPad is proud to partner with a variety of guest bloggers from around the world, and we're committed to hosting a range of viewpoints on our site. However, please note that the views contained in this post belong to its author and are not necessarily endorsed by Lilly.